Soda fountain draft arm



NOV. 10, 1936. R BRANTLY 2,060,551

' SODA FOUNTAIN DRAFT ARM Filed April 6, 1935 78 gwuc wto' I. RMBFEEZQ 1 .l W I I I y I! Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

For mechanical reasons which need not be gone into, the draft outlets of soda fountains leak both gas and water, after a period of use of longer or shorter duration, and this invention aims to provide an attachment for the draft outlets of soda fountains, the attachment being so constructed that it will put a stop to such leakage, dispense a fine stream or a coarse stream, and do so without incurring the expense and trouble due to putting in a new draft outlet.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a draft outlet for a soda fountain having attached thereto the device forming the subject matter of this invention, the device per se being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 1.

The numeral I marks the conventional draft outlet for a soda fountain, having a threaded end 2, on which, ordinarily, is mounted a tubular nozzle (not-shown). The valve 3 of the draft outlet I is operated by an arm 4. Such devices leak both gas and water, after a little time.

When the draft outlet I begins to leak, the nozzle hereinbefore mentioned and not shown is threaded off the part 2, and a cylindrical casing 5 is threaded on the part 2, in the room of the displaced nozzle.

Near its upper end, the casing 5 has a transverse partition or seat 6 provided with a central guide bore 7, and with openings 8 about the guide bore. There is an enlarged chamber 9 in the casing 5, below the partition 6, and the chamber 9 is tapered at ID, to communicate with the reduced outlet at the lower end of the casing 5.

The letter P marks a plunger. The plunger comprises a neck I2 slidable in the guide bore I of the partition 6. A valve I4 is attached by a securing element I5 to the neck I2, the valve preferably being of the frusto-conical form shown in Fig. 1. The valve I4 is of sufficient diameter so that when it is in the lowered position of Fig. 1, the valve will close the openings 8 in the partition or seat 6.

The neck I2 of the plunger P carries a lower valve I6 of sufiicient diameter to close the openings 8 in the seat 6 when the plunger P moves upwardly. The lower valve I6 is tapered at IT and is formed integrally with a stem I9, somewhat larger in diameter than the neck I2. The plunger P has a longitudinal passage 26, open at its lower end and terminating at its upper end within the plunger, the passage, therefore, being closed at its upper end. The neck I2 has lateral openings or ports 2I which communicate with the passage 20 and when the plunger is in the lowered position of Fig. 1, the openings 2I' are within the guide bore 1. and are closed.

The plunger P terminates at its lower end in a reduced foot 23 forming a transverse shoulder 24. The foot 23 is received in an opening 21 formed in a partition 25 located in a nozzle 26 which has vertical movement with respect to the casing 5. There are openings 28 in the partition 25, about the opening 21, the openings 28 being somewhat smaller in diameter than the openings 8 in the partition 6 of the casing 5. A washer 29 is held by securing elements 36 on the reduced foot 23 of the plunger P, and the partition 25 of the nozzle 26, therefore, is bound between the washer 29 and the shoulder 24, the nozzle 26 being connected to the plunger P for I vertical movement therewith.

Any suitable means may be provided for imparting vertical movement to the nozzle 26 and the plunger P. For instance, the nozzle 26 may be connected to the lower end of the casing 5 by quick threads 3|, the nozzle 26 having a lateral handle 32 by which it may be rotated, thereby to raise and lower the nozzle and the plunger, through the instrumentality of the threads 3|.

If the draft outlet I leaks, the nozzle (not shown) ordinarily carried by the end 2 of the outlet I is removed, and the casing 5 is threaded on the part 2. The valve 3 of the draft outlet I is moved to open position by means of the arm 4.

When the arm 32 of the nozzle 26 is in proper position, the valve I4 rests on the partition 6 and closes the openings 8 of the partition, it being impossible for gas or water to escape, and the leak in the draft outlet I being overcome.

In order to get a fine stream, the handle 32 of the nozzle 26 is swung, the nozzle is rotated and the nozzle and the plunger P move upwardly until the lower valve I6 engages the seat or partition 6 and closes the openings 8. The charged water thenenters the ports 2|, which now are above the partition 6, and flows into the passage 20 of the stem I9, through the ports 2I, a fine stream being produced.

If the operator wishes, he can operate the handle 32 to raise the plunger P enough so that the upper valve I4 is spaced from the partition 6, the lower valve I6 being spaced from the lower surface of the partition. A coarse stream then flows through the openings 8 of the partition 6 and through the openings 28 of the partition 25 in the nozzle 26, the stream leaving the device by way of the lower end of the nozzle 26. Under the conditions last above referred to, the liquid which has to pass downwardly through the openings 8 is spread out by engagement with the lower valve I6 and is evenly and fairly distributed with respect to the openings 28 in the partition 25 of the nozzle 26.

It is clear that the device, although simple in construction, affords an effective means whereby a leaky draft outlet for a soda fountain can be put in perfect working condition without replacing the draft outlet or making extensive repairs. All that the operator has to do is to thread the casing 5 on the end 2 of the outlet I, open the valve 3 by means of the arm 4 and proceed with the dispensing of drinks through a manipulation of the handle 32, as occasion may demand.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for repairing a leaky spigot, comprising a casing in the form of a circumferentially-closed tube, provided at its upper end with means for mounting the casing on a spigot, the casing being provided with a seat having an opening, a plunger slidable in the seat, the plunger having a passage which opens downwardly through the plunger and is closed at its upper end, the plunger having a side port communicating with the passage, an upper valve on the plunger and engageable with the upper part of the seat to close the opening when the plunger is lowered, a lower valve on the plunger and engageable with the lower part of the seat to close the opening when the plunger is raised, the port being closed by the seat when the opening is closed by the upper valve, and being open when the opening is closed by the lower valve, the plunger being movable to an intermediate posi- 'tion in which neither valve closes the opening,

and mechanism for operating the plunger.

2. A device for repairing a leaky spigot, constructed as set forth in claim 1, and wherein the mechanism for operating the plunger embodies a nozzle threaded on the casing and having a laterally-outstanding handle operating substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the casing, the plunger being connected to the nozzle.

3. The combination with a spigot embodying a depending outlet member and a flow-controlling mechanism above the outlet member, of a casing in the form of a circumferentially-closed tube provided at its upper end with means de tachably connecting the casing to the outlet member, the casing being provided with a seat having an opening, a plunger slidable in the seat, the plunger having a passage which opens downwardly through the plunger and is closed at its upper end, the plunger having a side port communicating with the passage, an upper valve on the plunger and engageable with the upper part of the seat to close the opening when the plunger is lowered, a lower valve on the plunger and engageable with the lower part of the seat to close the opening when the plunger is raised, the port being closed by the seat when the opening is closed by the upper valve, and being open when the opening is closed by the lower valve, the plunger being movable to an intermediate position in which neither valve closes the opening, and mechanism for operating the plunger.

4. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim 3, and wherein the mechanism for operating the plunger embodies a nozzle connected by a thread to the casing, the plunger being connected to the nozzle, the nozzle having an outstanding handle, the dimensions of the controlling mechanism, the length of the casing and the pitch of the thread, being such that the handle can operate in a generally horizontal direction, in spaced relation to any movable portion of the flow-controlling mechanism.

LEWIS R. BRANTLY. 

